format_quote Originally Posted by
Scents of Jannah
assalamu alaykum,
My dear sister increase your salah inshaAllah. Alhumdulillah, you already pray 5 times a day. To what level is your focus on? Wudhu itself is an act of worship for the pleasure of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Make intention and perform wudhu carefully with the knowledge that each action is wiping away your sins and be thankful to Allah for bestowing His Kindness and Mercy upon us in this way. Dress in perfumed clothes for your meeting with Allah.
Before you make takbiratul Ihram (saying Allahu Akbar) focus on this.. You are standing before Allah, the Lord of the Worlds to Worship Him and Him Alone. Forget everything else around you. It's just you standing before Allah.
When you have made takbiratul Ihram, focus on the words of salah. Think about the meaning of each verse and feel it. Take your time. We don't talk 100mph to a person, then why with Allah, our Rabb, our Creator, Who we are supposed to be worshipping.
Do not rush in your actions. Remember when standing up (Qiyam) from Ruku your back bone must be full straight before you go down to make sujood (Prostration). In sujood you are closes to Allah. When you say, "Subhana Rabbiyal 'ala." (Glory to my Lord, the Highest) praise Him from the bottom of your heart and soul and mean it. Imagine every cell in your body is praising Allah. The Prophet (saw) told us to increase supplication in this posture as this is when a servant is closest to his Lord and the most likely time for your supplication to be answered.
If you know other Surahs by heart, recite them during salah. However it it forbidden to recite al-Quraan in ruku and sujood.
In short, make every action, including dikhr after salah, unhurried and deliberate, feeling the meanings and hoping that Allah is pleased with you and fearing Him and Loving Him.
Focusing and feeling your salah will make your heart and body tremble and your eyes cry. Will Allah not love you then and increase His favours upon you?
Try to pray Thajjud, Ishraaq (about 20 mins after sunrise), Chaashat and salatul-awabeen between Maghrib and Isha.
InshaAllah, your imaan will increase. There's a saying which goes like.."Something is only as sweet as the amount of sugar you put into it." Your efforts will be rewarded inshaAllah.
Lastly, the blessings of voluntary Ibadah..
:sl:
Wa alaykum assalam sis. JazakAllah khair for the nice post.
Actually, I already do all that in prayer, I go slow, I think about what I'm saying, and I feel as if I'm standing in front of Allah. Prayer is the only time I actually feel close to Him, and I feel good, but I get thoughts in my head during prayer too sometimes, thoughts like, problems going on in life, family, schoolwork, So thats something else I'm working on, being more focused in prayer. I will keep trying harder, thanks again, may Allah bless N reward you.
I am feeling alittle better today, but it still gets to me, that my Iman is weak, and sometimes I think, I'm not a full Muslim, because, there's other Muslims, especially converts who do alot more than me, I pray, but I sometimes don't do the Sunnah prayers, I can't fast due to health reasons (but I want to try), I don't even know how to do some prayers, like Tahajjud, which I wish I could do, and of course I don't wear Hijab fully, I do when I'm not near my mom, she just oppresses me when it comes to it, she don't want me to speak to her about hijab, she says she don't want me wearing it around her, because people would stare, and because she's not use to it, eventhough I'm the one wearing it. So me not being able to do all this, I sometimes get feelings that Allah doesnt love me as much as He does other Muslims who do more than me.
Also the environment I am living in, my family, they smoke, drink, curse, yell, argue, I am always around this, and I can't move or anything untill I finish school, which I haven't even started yet, will this year inshaAllah. Its alot for me, but I pray Allah gets me through it, and helps every Muslim going through alot too.
:sl: